10 Director's Cuts That Seriously Improve Movies

The release of Terry Gilliam's Brazil was riddled with director/studio squabbling. So much so that the director was forced to take out an ad in Variety Magazine, imploring that his version be released.

Brazil sees the world through the eyes of Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce), a man entrenched in a bureaucracy-riddled hell scape, where the class divide has never been more prominent, and human life is devalued.

Gilliam’s depiction of the future was bleak, and his dark comedy made it all too clear what he thought about the trajectory of a capitalistic-centred society. The films protagonist is desperate to break the monotony of his life, and sees love as his only salvation. His unorthodox way of thinking eventually brings him into conflict with the authorities, when he is imprisoned, tortured, and then breaks free to save his romantic interest, living happily ever after. This was the ending the studio fought tooth and nail for, and indeed this was the product broadcast on TV.

But an alternative version was also released at the same time, Gilliam’s version, whereby the happy ending was replaced and revealed to be a hallucination. The film ends with Sam imprisoned and insane. It's far more in keeping with the tone of the film and the overall message Gilliam was going for.